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In this episode of Muscles and Management, Gerry welcomes back Joe Aratari for a raw conversation on the realities of in-season training, youth sport culture, and what too many coaches get wrong when it comes to online content, business, and development.

Joe shares lessons from over a decade training youth and high school athletes, including:

• How to properly train during the season without overtraining or undertraining
• Why soreness and time constraints are excuses, not roadblocks
• The importance of consistent, year-round strength work to maintain gains and prevent injury
• How to integrate lifts into practices without disrupting performance
• Why simple full-body templates win during in-season phases
• When and how to adjust for recovery, lifestyle, and sport-specific stress

They also dive into:

• The rise of influencer strength coaches with no real-world experience
• The value of long-term trust, buy-in, and smart programming
• When it’s okay to tell a kid to go home and just be a kid for a day
• The real ROI of off-season training—and how it’s lost without in-season consistency

Packed with practical strategies, real-life anecdotes, and brutally honest takes, this one is a must-listen for any coach or parent serious about long-term athlete development.

0:00 – Introduction and Catching Up with Joe
2:25 – Social Media Coaching: Who Should You Listen To?
6:44 – Why Context and Experience Matter More Than Followers
10:32 – Building a Remote Program with Integrity and Results
15:04 – Creating Sustainable Systems for Coaches and Facilities
17:17 – Why Most Athletes Need In-Season Training
21:00 – Top Reasons Parents and Coaches Still Avoid In-Season Lifts
25:52 – Time Constraints, Practice Integration, and Real Solutions
28:29 – The ROI of Off-Season Work Hinges on In-Season Consistency
33:01 – How “Feeling Better” Converts Athletes to Buy-In
36:19 – Sample Week for a Busy High School Athlete
42:58 – Full Body Templates: Simple, Scalable, and Effective
45:43 – Year-Round Sports and Overuse: A Growing Problem
48:23 – Misconceptions Around Heavy Lifting and Injury Risk
51:08 – Rehab vs. Performance: Staying in Your Lane but Learning Enough
53:43 – Sport-Specific Training vs. Athlete Development
56:38 – Strength First: Why Foundations Beat Fancy
1:01:25 – Final Thoughts on Long-Term Athlete Development and Testing

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